please log in to view this image Venue: Anfield KO: 5:30pm Date: Saturday 29th December Head to Head Record: All: 225 Won: 78 Draws: 61 Losses: 86 Last six meetings: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool Liverpool 3-3 Arsenal please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Team News: Arsenal are still facing a defensive injury crisis with Hector Bellerin (calf), Konstantinos Mavropanos (groin) and Rob Holding (knee) all definitely out. Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal (both thigh) are doubts, meaning Stephan Lichtsteiner could one again be deployed at right-back despite a costly mistake at Brighton. Further up the field, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is out for six weeks with a broken metatarsal, Emile Smith Rowe (groin) remains out, while Danny Welbeck (ankle) is a long-term absentee. Liverpool could be without James Milner after the midfielder missed Boxing Day's win over Newcastle with a muscle injury. Milner was one of three names to drop out of the starting XI as Trent Alexander-Arnold returned for the Reds.
In many way I would be happy if we totally re-assembled the back four. Mustafi is a walking calamity Koscielny appears to be past it. Bellerin would go for big money and defensively he's still not amazing. Cashing in could enable more signings. Monreal is past his best. Lichsteiner is ancient and well past it. I would keep Sokratis, Kolasinac and Holding. The rest can/should go - We need to rebuild.
That should have been the idea at the beginning of the season. No idea why we have invested in decrepit and injured/out of form defenders and a goalkeeper who looks like he has never played at this level before. Fuming.
Defensively we look just as vulnerable as we did under Wenger. (on course to concede just as many) We have great attackers but we lack a playmaker to get the ball to them. Xhaka does **** all creatively and Ramsey's passing is mediocre at best. ALSO this back three business is BULLSHIT. We suck defensively and this is down primarily to personnel. Play Lacazette and Aubameyang and one less defender. Play to our strengths
Looking like 8 - 1 the way are defence plays. Also why is Ramsey playing and captain when he is leaving - he has been ****e all season yet starts/captains against Liverpool FFS need to buy defenders in January and ship out Ramsey asap
What a depressing way to end the year. We look a long way off anything remotely resembling challengers for the top 4 at this rate I'm afraid. On a positive note at least no-one can sugarcoat just how terrible we really are. Pack the lot of these guys off in January and buy new defenders please.
As said above, I just think we need to recruit an entirely new defense. Top to bottom. Again, it makes me worried when we have statements like “we are skipping January, it’s too difficult to sign players”.
As strange as some of Emery's choices are, it is going to take a long while to weedle out the ****e he was left behind with. In particular in defence and midfield. In fact Wenger left two good strikers, some good prospects like Nelson and that was really about it. The board have to spend big in the next few windows to back him else why appoint him?
Its depressing that football is no longer a contact sport inside the box. The Sokratis 'tackle' on Salah and the 'Push' on Lovren. Neither were enough contcat to make a grown man fall over - not even close. Football is basically like basketball inside the box now.
Shows that structurally and organization-wise, we are still the same team as under Wenger. Flaky as anything. Been apparent for the entireity of this season and our defensive record shows it.